ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the basic statistical information about the survey sample, with sections on ‘Family Size and Structure’ and ‘Income and Employment’. Young families were particularly vulnerable to the risk of home-lessness. At a time of entering temporary accommodation 17.5 per cent of mothers in the sample were under 21; a further 45.4 per cent were under 31; 27.5 per cent under 41 and 9.5 per cent older. The rate of family breakdown declined following entry into the hostel as compared with the pre-hostel period, and there was no clear difference between circumstances in which husbands were separated from or living with their wives in the hostel. Focusing on the 157 families who were dependent on regular wages, an attempt was made to find out their average weekly earnings.
